Image:
Support Staff – UNC Housing. (n.d.). Carolina Housing.
https://housing.unc.edu/live/living-on-campus/support-staff/
3 Minute Presentation Script
I grew up in a household of resident advisors (RAs). My parents met during their time as RAs at Indiana University (IU), and my older sister was an RA for her last three years at IU as well. This sparked my curiosity in what makes an RA different from their peers. What kind of training, support, and attitude do these students have that make them fit for this working environment?
According to a recent study, “resident assistants had significantly higher confidence in their ability to lead others, organize a group’s tasks to accomplish goals, take initiative to improve something, and work with a team on group projects” (Roberts & Soria, 2021). Since these students are in a higher ranking position, it seems fit that they were found to have more confidence when it comes to their leadership skills, but where is that grown and fostered? To investigate further, I decided to observe one of their weekly meetings as well as interview an RA on desk duty.
The RA was very approachable at the desk, and from our conversation, I gathered that she puts effort into engaging with her residents through correspondence on GroupMe as well as trying to go to dinner with different suites. I also found out that RAs have weekly group meetings as well as an individual meeting every other week with their supervisor to check in on their overall wellbeing. I believe that this direct support from their supervisors helps RAs stay motivated and engaged in their job. From this RAs responses and her outward attitude, I deduced that as an RA, she makes it a priority to get to know her residents rather than just be seen as an authority figure.
From observing the group meeting, I saw how relaxed it was. There was a lot of laughter. The meeting had a balance of topics regarding the Ehringhaus community and logistics, as well as activities to bring everyone together as a group. I think that the community director fosters growth and teamwork in the meeting, which translates into how RAs should engage with their residents.
From these observations, common themes I saw were organization, support from supervisors, and thorough training. I felt welcomed at both of my observations, which shows that it is a goal for residents to feel comfortable with their first year transition. From my perspective, RAs already have qualities like organization and time management, which makes them great candidates for this job. Balancing their school work and this time consuming job requires a lot of time and effort. Ultimately, RAs are students that are capable of acting as role models and friends all the while creating a welcoming community because of their supervisor support, training, and attitude.
Explication of Research
Preface
I grew up in a household of resident advisors (RAs). My parents met during their time as RAs at Indiana University (IU), and my older sister was an RA for her last three years at IU as well. When I was younger, I thought I would want to be an RA. Now that I am at college, I am not sure I would want to live in a lowerclassmen dorm and have the responsibilities of an RA. This sparked my curiosity in what makes an RA different from their peers? What kind of training, support, and attitude do these students have that make them fit for this job?
Background Information
What does an RA even do? According to the UNC website, “The Resident Advisor (RA) is a full-time, undergraduate or graduate student who – under the supervision and direction of the Community Director – serves as an educator, counselor, administrator, role model, friend, and team member for the residents of a floor or wing in a residence hall” (Support Staff- UNC Housing). I still wonder, what makes a student a good RA? According to a study aimed at testing if RAs have better leadership skills than their peers, “resident assistants had significantly higher confidence in their ability to lead others, organize a group’s tasks to accomplish goals, take initiative to improve something, and work with a team on a group projects” (Roberts & Soria, 2021, p. 2). Since these students are in a higher ranking position, it seems fit that they were found to have more confidence when it comes to their leadership skills, but where is that grown and fostered? In general, RAs are in charge of supervising, engaging, and creating a community for a group of residents that usually live close to them in their dorm. Without a very clear idea on what being an RA entails here at UNC, in regard to job training and behind the scene duties, I decided to observe one of their weekly meetings as well as interview an RA on desk duty.
Observational Data and Analysis
I first interviewed an RA on duty at the Koury desk. The quality I noticed upfront was her approachability. Both of the RAs at the desk were working on homework, which made me think about how they are balancing this job with seemingly a lot of responsibility, along with completing all of their school work. From our conversation, I gathered that she puts effort into engaging with her residents through correspondence on GroupMe as well as trying to knock on their doors once a week or going to dinner with different suites. I also found out that RAs have a weekly group meeting along with an individual meeting every other week with their supervisor to check in on their overall wellbeing. I believe that this direct support from their supervisors helps RAs stay motivated and engaged in their job. I concluded our conversation by asking what she thought differentiated RAs from their peers or what makes a good RA. She contemplated for a bit, but told me that she thinks RAs are more aware of being a role model, have to be really organized, empathetic, have good leadership skills, and be mature. From her responses and her outward attitude, I deduced that as an RA, she makes it a priority to get to know her residents rather than just be seen as an authority figure.
For my second observation, I attended one of the weekly group meetings. The meeting seemed very relaxed yet effective. People were making jokes but also being constructive. They were going over a slideshow on how they could improve staff training. Seeing the responses gave me the impression that they had extensive training before we moved in. They were talking about multiple days and hours, so my impression is that they had lots of training. The constant chatter and jokes also make me think that they have spent lots of time together and all get along. The community director came over to me and introduced herself. She was very welcoming to me. Based on how she treated me and led her meetings, I observed that she created a more fun and lively environment. All of the RAs seemed to actively be engaging and participating as well. It seems like the meeting fosters the growth and bonding of the RAs as a team. Following the slideshow on staff training, some of the RAs led an activity where you pass around notecards and write something nice about everyone. After this, they transitioned back to discussing Ehringhaus issues or complaints. Everyone in the room seemed to be heard and respected. Overall, the meeting went by smoothly because it was organized and people were respectful, but still had fun when it was appropriate. I notice a direct parallel between the RAs’ goals and the community director’s goals. It seems like the community director was fostering the community of RAs similar to how the RAs do for their residents.
Conclusion
From my observations, I continued to see a group of students with a good support system from their supervisors and past training that makes them good resident advisors. In general, these students seemed to be mature and know when to be serious but also were able to joke constantly to keep the mood light. Initially, I thought I would be watching a boring meeting that was strictly led by the community director, but I was pleasantly surprised to watch these RAs having fun together. My research question was able to evolve into what it is now because I realized that their job is more complexly layered with how they are fit for their job rather than how they try to present themselves with others. If I had more time, I would have interviewed a couple more RAs. I think I only saw the surface of what these students do on a regular basis. I could also speak directly with the community director to find out how the RAs are chosen or what training they go through and why. Ultimately, I believe that RAs are students that are capable of taking on a lot of responsibility, and they are constantly putting forth their best effort to create a better environment for all of us.
References
Roberts, B. J., & Soria, K. M. (2021). Resident assistants’ leadership efficacy.
University of Minnesota Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Policy Analysis. https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/220170/Resident%20Assistants%27%20Leadership%20Efficacy%20Policy%20Brief.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Support Staff – UNC Housing. (n.d.). Carolina Housing.
https://housing.unc.edu/live/living-on-campus/support-staff/
Featured Image Source:
Staff- UNC Housing. (n.d.). Carolina Housing.
https://housing.unc.edu/about-us/staff/